<p>Major TV networks and cable news channels will not provide extensive coverage of the 2026 Republican midterm convention, as the event's organizers prepare to compete for viewers with the first two games of the NFL regular season.</p>
<p>Sources familiar with the situation confirmed to the Washington Examiner that CBS and CNN will not cover a majority of the two-day convention live, which begins on September 9 in Dallas.</p>
<p>A source familiar with CBS's coverage plans indicated that the network will have correspondents in Texas to report on the convention but does not plan to provide significant live coverage. The source stated, "We’ll likely cover it similarly to how we cover a typical Trump speech/Vance speech. Will report on it, certainly." </p>
<p>Another source at CNN mentioned that the cable channel will cover the RNC Midterm Convention and highlight key moments and speeches for its audience.</p>
<p>NBC is also expected to limit its live coverage of the convention, particularly on Wednesday, as it holds the rights to the season-opening game between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks, scheduled for 8:20 p.m. Eastern.</p>
<p>Vice President JD Vance is set to address the convention around 9 p.m. on the same day.</p>
<p>NBC pays over $2 billion annually as part of its multiyear broadcast rights deal for Sunday Night Football and the NFL opening kickoff game.</p>
<p>President Donald Trump is expected to appear at the convention on Wednesday and deliver his address on Thursday. He is also scheduled to speak during an NFL game, a divisional matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and San Francisco 49ers in Melbourne, Australia, which will stream on Netflix at 8:35 p.m. Eastern.</p>
<p>The TV coverage plans highlight differences between this midterm convention, described by the organizing Republican National Committee as "Trump-a-palooza," and traditional presidential election-year conventions.</p>
<p>Other distinctions include the number of battleground Republican candidates attending and limited sideline programming, which includes events hosted by third parties and open press breakfasts for delegates, as well as the convention's role as a fundraising opportunity.</p>
<p>Despite these challenges, the RNC is confident the convention will be successful. Chairman Joe Gruters stated, "Trump and Republicans have delivered historic results for the American people, and every hour of this historic convention will tell that story." </p>
<p>Gruters added, "Over two action-packed days, we will take Americans through the defining issues of our Party’s agenda and what is at stake in November. Each hour will have its own theme, its own message, and its own voices, building toward President Donald Trump’s vision for the next chapter of American greatness. This will be unlike any political convention America has seen before." </p>